Digital Commons Network^™

On Studying Transformer Networks For Volume-To-Surface Registration Of Inhomogeneous Soft Bodies For Liver Laparoscopy, Michael Adam Young

Theses

An important practical consideration in laparoscopic liver surgery is the limited visual information relative to open surgery. In laparoscopic interventions, the surgeon’s view of the liver surface is generally limited to the scene provided by a single scope with a narrow field-of-view. This limits the ability to navigate towards internal lesions previously identified through pre-procedural imaging. Surgical navigation during laparoscopy could be enhanced by registration of full preoperative liver models derived from pre-procedural imaging scans onto the partial laparoscopic view of the liver. This entails both a rigid registration to match the liver surface view to the preoperative volume, as …

Interspecific Sources Of Resistance For Neisseria Gonorrhoeae: Investigating Horizontally Transferred Antimicrobial Resistance Markers, Makenna Swartz

Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health crisis, limiting treatment options and increasing the burden of infectious diseases. Bacteria can rapidly gain resistance through mutations and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Understanding these mechanisms is critical for developing strategies to mitigate resistance and preserve antibiotic efficiency. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea, has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, and has only one remaining treatment option. Commensal species are constantly exposed to antibiotics in humans, and over time acquire resistant mutations that then transfer to pathogenic species through HGT. Investigating these exchanges can provide insight into how resistance evolves and spreads …

Adaptive Reuse Of Abandoned Schools, Dayana Williams

Theses

This thesis investigates the adaptive reuse of abandoned school buildings in economically declining communities, mainly focusing on how these transformations can contribute to sustainable community revitalization. The research highlights Columbus, Ohio, where school closures and grade realignments threaten to leave many school properties vacant, especially in minority neighborhoods. This adaptive reuse strategy presents an opportunity to address issues such as urban decay, resource efficiency, and social equity by repurposing these buildings into multifunctional community assets. The study adopts a multi-method approach, including literature reviews, case study analysis, and community needs assessments, to identify best practices and critical challenges in adaptive …

Insights Into Covid-19 Dynamics Via The Integration Of Subpopulations, Vaccinations, And Bayesian Calibration In A Semi-Enclosed Community Model Framework, Meghan Rowan Childs

Theses

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have experienced unique challenges due to their multifaceted nature as a place of education, residence, and employment. Previous work has used mathematical models to explore varying approaches to combating COVID-19 and tailored these models to local contexts, such as hospitals. However, previous work has not broadly incorporated pharmaceutical mitigation strategies into university models. We address this gap in research by integrating subpopulations, vaccines, and COVID-19 variants into a semi-enclosed population model framework. We further improve the quantification of uncertainty in the model parameters by implementing a formal Bayesian model calibration, fusing real-world …

An Ultra-Low-Power, Area-Efficient All-Analog Trojan With Temporal Power Supply Triggering, Roberto Ramos-Brito

Theses

With the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things and rising concerns over intellectual property protection, hardware security has become increasingly vital—particularly in defending against hardware trojans. While much of the existing research targets digital trojans, analog hardware trojans remain largely unexplored, presenting unique opportunities for developing innovative attack vectors and mitigation strategies. This thesis introduces a novel all-analog temporal trojan that functions entirely within the analog domain. The design incorporates power supply noise detection and charge-accumulator techniques to enable precise control over attack execution and payload delivery. It also leverages novel circuit techniques to reduce power and area overhead, …

Enhancing The Immunogenicity Of Extracellular Vesicle-Based Vaccines Against Pathogenic Nthi Bacteria, Christina Ciko

Theses

Acute otitis media (AOM), or ear infections, are highly prevalent in children, with nearly 80% experiencing at least one AOM by the age of three. As such, there is an urgent need for a vaccine against Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a main cause of AOM in the US. Most vaccines contain multiple antigens from the pathogen, inducing an immune response and antibodies to those antigens. Here, we describe a novel approach to creating a vaccine against NTHi, incorporating a unique recombinant trivalent protein (Tri) featuring three NTHi antigens (OMP26, P6, and protein F) in a single peptide chain with an …

Fragility And Strength In Times Of War: A Series Of Embroidered Watercolors, Alisha B. Whitman

Theses

This final project report follows the production of a series of embroidered watercolors that explore how war disrupts and can destroy the values which people manage to somehow both hold dear and take for granted. These values, such as peace and freedom, are fragile, and yet they can provide great strength in dark times. This dichotomy is explored through this body of work using the materials of painted paper and thread as symbols of both fragility and strength. Choosing to work with materials and methods historically seen as feminine work add additional meaning to that symbolism. Additionally, Jewish iconography and …

Understanding And Implementing Fashion Sustainability: An Academic Course, Paige M. Baldwin

Theses

This project outlined a fashion sustainability course meant to be taught at a degree-awarding educational institution. The course explores the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the fashion industry. Students learn about sustainable practices, materials, and design principles. Students also study consumer behavior, supply chain management, and government policies related to sustainable fashion. The literature and research looked at the current fashion industry landscape and the sustainability issues that are being addressed, the current educational landscape of fashion programs in the United States of America, and the current literature regarding building an effective curriculum in the 21st century.

Framing The Gaze: The Transformation Of Storytelling From Chinese Scrolls To Persian Miniature Illuminations, Lindsey A. Maslar

Theses

Miniature painting represents one of the many exquisite traditions in Islamic art, flourishing particularly during the Safavid period (1501–1736 CE). Numerous power shifts throughout Persia during this time resulted in significant cross-cultural artistic exchanges, particularly with visual culture from the Ming Dynasty. The Mongol invasion of Persia in the 13th century facilitated a profound cultural diffusion, as Persian artists and patrons selectively incorporated Chinese motifs, techniques, and spatial concepts, adapting them to suit local aesthetic and ideological frameworks. This thesis examines how the adaptation of Mongol artistic elements in Persian miniatures influenced not only stylistic conventions but also transformed the …

Assessment Of Physiological & Biochemical Changes In Tomato Plants Treated With Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (Pgpr) Under Salinity Stress Conditions, Mohammed Sharif Alhosani

Theses

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of salt stress on plants. The present study reports the isolation of PGPRs from a high-saline mangrove ecosystem in Abu Dhabi, with isolates exhibiting ACC deaminase (ACCD) activity to reduce stress-induced ethylene, along with additional plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics, including phosphate solubilization (P+). A total of 57 salt-tolerant bacterial isolates from the mangrove rhizosphere were initially screened for ACCD and P+ activities. Of these, 24 isolates tested positive for PGP characteristics and were further evaluated for their ability to enhance salt stress tolerance in tomato seedlings. In addition, seedlings inoculated …

Soundhapticsvr: Head-Based Spatial Haptic Feedback For Accessible Sounds In Virtual Reality For Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Users, Pratheep Kumar Chelladurai

Theses

Virtual Reality (VR) systems use immersive spatial audio that provide more localized sound awareness to convey critical information. However, these audio cues are often inaccessible to individuals who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH). To address this, we developed, a head-based haptic system designed to enable localizing and convert- ing audio signals directly into haptic feedback using multi-channel acoustic haptic actuators. We evaluated through three studies. The preliminary study determined the maximum tactile frequency threshold perceivable on different regions of the head of DHH users when a VR headset is attached. This was followed by a study to deter- mine the …

Deepfake Image Detection Using Explainable Ai And Deep Learning, Abdallah Abdulfattah Mohammed Abdulrahman

Theses

Deepfake technology has grown exponentially, and it has changed our perspective of managing digital content. The technology has many applications, but its ease of access has brought many risks. These risks include identity theft, misinformation spread, development of non-consensual content, and a decrease in trust in media. To address these challenges, we propose a hybrid deep learning model combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for deepfake image detection. We developed a CNN model and four hybrid CNN-LSTM models in our study. Our approach integrates the strengths of CNNs for spatial feature extraction and LSTMs for …

Machinery Imbalance Failure Prediction Based On Pump – Motor Vibration Readings, Abdulrahman Albuflaseh

Theses

Predictive maintenance has emerged as a transformative solution in industrial operations, reducing unexpected machine failures and minimizing downtime. This study explores the application of machine learning in vibration analysis to detect imbalances in pump-motor units, a critical issue that accelerates equipment wear and increases maintenance costs. Traditional maintenance methods, such as scheduled inspections, often fail to identify faults early, leading to significant operational disruptions, particularly in utility, oil and gas sectors. By leveraging real-time vibration data and advanced machine learning techniques, this research aims to develop an efficient imbalance detection model that enhances maintenance efficiency and reliability. The study employs …

Advances In Machine Learning For Pain Recognition: A Review Of Algorithms, Modalities, And Outcomes, Abdulrahman Alsharif

Theses

The emergence of machine learning (ML) in healthcare has unlocked the transformative potential of pain detection and assessment. By providing new ways to address the challenges associated with subjective and inconsistent pain assessment methods. This review synthesizes recent advancements in ML-based approaches for pain detection, focusing on algorithms, modalities, and datasets. Techniques such as neural networks, transformer models, and multimodal fusion frameworks have demonstrated significant promise in identifying pain from diverse sources, including facial expressions, physiological signals, and synthetic datasets. Key contributions include novel transformer-based architectres like PainAttnNet for analyzing electrodermal activity [1], multimodal datasets such as BioVid for advancing …

Future Scenarios Of Adoption Sustainable Materials By Construction Firms In The United Arab Emirates, Mona Albeshr

Theses

The construction industry accounts for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions, and change is required, especially with the Net Zero initiative. UAE construction companies must evaluate their current positions and update their strategies to support government regulations. Building futuristic communities is crucial for expanding the built environment within the country; however, the types of materials used should account for two aspects: sustainability and climate resilience, and both must be considered whenever these construction companies formulate their strategic response. Hence, scenario planning significantly provides valuable insights to decision-makers in construction companies’ strategic departments to envision four plausible scenarios of the external environment …

The Historical Role Of Westward Expansion Between American Museums And Indigenous Tribes, Erika Tenorio

Theses

Erika Tenorio’s thesis explores the intersection of Westward Expansion, American museums, and Indigenous communities, analyzing how 19th- and 20th-century expansionist policies shaped museum collections and Indigenous representation. The study examines how the ideology of Manifest Destiny, rooted in the Doctrine of Discovery, justified the forced removal of Native Americans and facilitated the collection of Indigenous artifacts by museums. Many of these institutions, influenced by Western colonial perspectives, portrayed Native cultures as relics of the past rather than as living traditions.

The research incorporates postcolonial and decolonial methodologies to assess evolving narratives within museums, focusing on Indigenous sovereignty, repatriation efforts, and …

A Visual Instrument For Military Public Affairs, Rose Di Trolio

Theses

This directed project is a visual guidebook that assists Missouri National Guard Soldiers, Airmen, and civilians onboarding within the Public Affairs Office and 70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. This guidebook serves as a tool for the creative-minded perspective to better understand materials such as the overall public affairs process, community relations, and social media creation and management. All the contents of this guidebook are directed from publicly-made information and labeled UNCLASSIFIED. This graphical guidebook uses vectors and images combined into one PDF file. Within the Military profession, it is typical and sometimes expected for members to relocate, deploy, or attend …

Reviving The Golden Age: Exploring Will Eisner's Legacy Through The Creation Of A Multiversal Sequential Art Story, Levi Atkins

Theses

Levi Atkins’ thesis explores the legacy of Will Eisner, a foundational figure in comic book history, through the creation of a multiversal sequential art story. The project combines a seven-page black-and-white comic with a scholarly analysis of Eisner’s storytelling techniques, focusing on his public domain characters from the Golden Age of Comics. Atkins examines how Eisner’s innovations—such as dynamic panel design, cinematic pacing, and genre blending—can inspire modern narratives. By reimagining characters like The Flame and Dollman within a multiverse framework, the thesis both honors Eisner’s legacy and demonstrates how historical comic forms can evolve to engage contemporary readers.

Dubai’S Future Mobility: Systems Thinking & Scenarios, Mohammed Mazloum Hanafy

Theses

Transportation is one of the essential pillars of any smart city. The future of transportation in Dubai faces enormous hurdles in urban mobility, including a growing population density, congestion, and environmental issues. Without careful planning and policy actions, these problems would certainly worsen in the future. Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate the future of urban mobility in Dubai and to suggest solutions for constructing a sustainable, efficient, and equitable transportation system by employing future foresight tools. Dubai has emerged in recent years as a global center for technological innovation, altering its built environment and reevaluating its …

Reusing Underutilized Warehouses: Impact Of Iot Integration On Water Conservation In Hydroponic Farming Within Mina Zayed Warehouses In Abu Dhabi, Aysha Benyas

Theses

Urban farming is seen as an essential approach to sustainable development, particularly in arid regions like Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where limited arable land and water resources pose significant challenges. With an emphasis on reusing underutilized urban spaces like the industrial warehouses in Mina Zayed, this thesis explores the transformative potential of shifting from conventional agricultural methods to advanced smart farming approaches. The main objective of this project is to optimize the effective use of urban areas and improve water conservation in agricultural operations by integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technology into hydroponic systems within these warehouses. The research …

Collection Of Self-Research Papers Analyzing The Enhancement Of Uae-China Cooperation Through Public Policy Lenses, Jiaming Lu

Theses

This thesis examines how UAE public policies can align with China’s commercial and political interests to strengthen the current strategic partnership between the two nations, with a focus on bilateral business cooperation encompassing diplomatic collaboration, free zone trade, and energy sector corporate governance. The primary objective of this thesis is to analyze whether this comprehensive relationship can be sustained or elevated to “allweather, all-round, strategic, and future-oriented” strategic partnership amid global challenges. To achieve this objective, multiple analytical models were employed to assess relevant public policies and their implementation mechanisms, including historical analysis, dynamic modeling, and socio-legal analysis. The findings …

Understanding Vaccines: A 3d Animation And Print Materials For Clinical Trial Patients, Shannon Gregory

Theses

This project covers the importance of patient education, and the decisions that go into making patient facing materials. The topic of this piece is “Understanding Vaccines” and will explore several key aspects: what vaccines are, how they work, their important role in public health, and how to best communicate with patient audiences. Given the growing challenges in vaccine education, this piece will address common misconceptions and emphasize the importance of clear, accessible communication. The goal of this piece is to educate, but also to encourage individuals to make well-informed decisions regarding vaccination. The artwork created for this thesis was developed …

Climate Influence On Both Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Rocky Intertidal Community Structure In San Diego, California, Emily Jenkins

Theses

The rocky intertidal ecosystem, the coastal area between high and low tides, serves as a critical buffer between land and sea. This ecosystem supports a diverse array of species and provides rich opportunities for exploration and education. With the influence of climate change, this ecosystem faces significant shifts in species distribution, resilience and recovery from environmental disturbances, as well as habitat loss (Jackson & McIlvenny 2011; Jueterbock et al. 2013; Menge & Gravem 2022; Rilov et al. 2021; Sagarin & Barry 1999). Between 2014-2016, climate anomalies El Niño (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) combined to create a period …

Enhancement Of Firefighter Mental Performance: A Review, Nicole A. Ness

Theses

Background: The life-or-death nature of firefighting exposes those who respond to calls to an increased number of stressors that can impact performance and overall well-being. To combat this, the mental element of firefighting can be optimized through psychological skills training programs and mindfulness training. Other tactical populations, such as the police force, military, and emergency medicine units have found success in implementing these interventions, Literature suggests a similar effect may be observed in firefighters because of their similar demands; although, little research exists regarding the effects of mental performance programs on firefighter populations specifically.

Methods: A review of existing literature …

Predicting Customer Churn In B2b Consulting Services, Mediya Alfalasi

Theses

The aim of this research was to develop a machine learning model that can predict customer churn in the consulting industry. The goal was to help businesses identify customers who might leave, allowing them to take action before it happens. To achieve this, a dataset was created by combining different data sources to reflect real-world customer behaviors. After cleaning the data and addressing issues like missing values and data imbalance, four machine learning algorithms—XGBoost, Neural Network, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Support Vector Machines (SVM)—were used to build the prediction models. The findings showed that XGBoost performed the best, achieving …

Fake News Detection On X (Twitter), Sultan Mayoof Almutaiwei

Theses

The most important innovation globally is the internet, which is used by a huge number of people all around the world. People use the internet for different purposes. By using different social media platforms people share content and news. Thus, some people use these internet platforms to share false news or fake news among people. Propaganda against a person, group, organization, or political party may be present in this news. For an individual, it is difficult to distinguish between false and true news over the internet. Therefore, machine learning is the smart solution that can identify fake news on the …

Enhancing Waste Management And Circular Economy Practices In Higher Education Institutions In Uae: A Study On Current Policies And Strategic Framework, Muna Ali

Theses

This study investigates the integration of Circular Economy (CE) principles within higher education institutions (HEIs) in UAE as a method to address waste challenges in UAE. Despite the announcement of UAE 2021-2031 Circular Economy Policy, and the nationwide continues promotion of sustainability initiatives, HEI’s lack the availability of tailored policies and procedures as well as guiding framework to address their waste challenges and adapt CE within their institutions. To assess this problem, a survey has been distributed to 45 CAA accredited public and private universities in UAE. A qualitative approach has been used to analyze the survey responses. The survey …

Prediction Of Vessel Arrival Time To Optimize Berth Allocation In Ports Using Machine Learning Methods, Anfal Mansour Albloushi

Theses

80% of the world trade is carried out through the sea, which shows the importance of maintaining transportation efficiency in the maritime industry. The vessel arrival time and berth allocation pose a significant challenge in the marine field's day-to-day operation, especially when a high number of vessels are waiting at the anchorage to deliver the goods on time. This increases the pressure on the responsible stakeholders and good owners as some cargo must be delivered urgently. Artificial intelligence and machine learning play a vital role in improving the operation of different fields; utilizing such technologies in the maritime industry will …

The Effect Of Biochar As Partial Cement Replacement On Mechanical, Durability, Thermal, And Microstructural Properties Of Concrete - Comparison With Biomass, Aysha Yousef Alsaadi

Theses

This thesis paper examines the use of 1% cement replacement with date palm derived biochar and compares it to 1% replacement of biomass. The main aim of this idea is to reduce the carbon emissions from concrete production factories and utilize the abundant waste from date palm plants, which is prevalent in the UAE. Three samples of concrete were used: 1% biochar mix, 1% biomass mix, and a control mix. Mechanical tests, including compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths, were evaluated. Thermal conductivity, chloride penetration, water absorption, and characterization testing by XRD, TGA, SEM, and FTIR were conducted. As for compressive …

Perceived Stress, Psychological Wellbeing, And Sleep Quality Of Passport Control Officers, Roudha Abdulla Almazrouei

Theses

Research on the stress experienced by officers has identified several key findings that illustrate the diverse nature of their workplace stressors. Research specifically addressing the stressors encountered by passport control officers is limited when compared to studies on other law enforcement roles. This study aims to assess stress levels among passport control officers, identify psychological health impacts, determine the intersection of personal and occupational stress, and investigate the effects of shift work on stress intensity and related psychological issues. A mixed methodology incorporating qualitative and quantitative was used. The sample included 166 participants with a job title of passport control …